France braces for trial of surgeon accused of sexually abusing hundreds of children

Joël Le Scouarnec has been charged with the rape or sexual assault of 299 patients from 1989 to 2014

France is braced for serious questions over child protection amid harrowing testimony from a record number of alleged victims of Joël Le Scouarnec, 73, who worked as a digestive surgeon. Picture: Getty 

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The biggest child abuse trial in French history will open in Brittany this month amid anger that a surgeon was allegedly able to attack hundreds of young patients over decades, targeting some when they were under anaesthetic, in the post-surgery recovery room or in their hospital beds.